Traces of an architectural space

Restoration is an essential method for architecture. As an architect, we think more about creating then rescuing a building. Nowadays, technology, typology, and context aspects disappeared. Also, we are facing global warming and building new buildings, enlarging the cities do not help it. The restoration is also a sustainable way of architecture. To improve a building with less energy consumption is the best way to design sustainable architecture. Also, this project thought me that architecture is not designing a new, appreciable building, but it is to transform a building, site or urban area just by touching. In that sense, I believe that this project is very important. The Società Umanitaria is one of the historical institutions of Milan. The institute played an important role in Milan’s history. It is a symbol of modernity for Milan. Nowadays, it seems that it lost the old attraction. When I started the project, the objective was to transform the area by respecting the architectural and historical value of the site. To detect the problems, I started with the analysis. The analysis provided from the urban scale to building detail. The urban analysis helped me to understand the integrity situation with the area so I can understand the site as an urban block in Milan. The site is located between Medieval Walls and Spanish Walls, so it is in the historical part of the city. Afterward, I tried to understand the site. The site contains two different systems; one of them is the cloister system which is the oldest constructed complex of the site, and the second is Romano’s education complex which is built in the 1950s as reconstruction project of Società Umanitaria. The journey of the site started as an entire lot but today the situation is very different. The different landlords owned the buildings and as a result of that, the sense of the entireness is lost. The connection, circulation flow, accesses, greenery, and settlement analysis showed me the entirety problem of the site. Those two systems were not connected so the perception of the site is lost during the time. Through a site survey, I understand the architecture of the site. The typology, geometrical survey, material survey, material deterioration showed me the problem of the buildings. For me, the cloister system was the most problematic complex in the site. After Romano’s renovation project, the building tried to survive with patches. The historical columns have a water raisin problem. The circulation is not continuous. Through the design, I tried to heal those problems and to improve the complex as a whole system. To provide a new experience to the visitors is one of the main objectives of the project and in this way, the idea of the urban garden is formed. Since the site is a historical site, the idea was to identify the systems by using an archeological coordination system. The modern and historical buildings had different grid systems that are intersecting in the middle. Then, through using the methodology of analysis of Doxiadis for Ancient Greek Settlements(Architectural Space in Ancient Greece), the settlement angles from the entrances are identified. The urban analysis showed the significance of the street axis which connects the Ca’ Granda to the Rotonda Della Besana. That axis was also a canal in the past. Together with those methods, a new axis system is formed. Those axes created node points by intersecting with each other. Those node points were referring to a new perspective points of the site. I assumed the visitors as a flaneur of Walter Benjamin(Das Passagenwerk.). The site was the symbol of modernity and the flaneur is the typology of the modern man so the idea was to create a contemporary flaneur who can discover the site through new the axis. These perspective points are developed by the visual limit rules of Dreyfuss (Anthropometrics) and perspective of the contemporary flaneur and those axes created the garden for the site. Also, the site analysis showed that the site is an open block and the idea of l’ilôt ouvert of Christian PortdeZamparc is used to locate the new pavilion. The new pavilion is an urban pergola that defines the perimeter of the site, emphasizes the aspect of l’ilôt ouvert, it defines the entrance and it serves to the garden as a garden element. The second important objective is the transformation and restoration of the cloister. The restoration project aimed to improve the condition and maintenance of the building through a new experience. First idea is to provide a continuity of circulation, in order to do that the new openings are provided. Then, the functions were unorganized so from the ground floor to the second floor, the functions transformed as from public to private functions. The exhibition and study room functions are added. The main intervention is the new entrance to the cloister system. The wall destructed and through structural supports, the new entrance is provided. The second important intervention is the pavement of cloister Degli Glicini. The inside of the cloister is changed as green and the pavement is transformed according to the typological aspects. Moreover, this transformation was also a solution for the water raisin problem of the columns. The new drainage system is provided so the water is directed away from columns. The third important intervention is to provide internal isolation to the building. Without changing the historical façade, the isolation provides thermal comfort to the users. The new functions needed new mechanical interventions, so new plumbing and ventilation system is provided. Also, a rainwater collection system is provided, to minimize water consumption. This project presents an alternative way to restore and transform the Società Umanitaria site through sustainability and construction techniques. It follows the methodology of Doxiadis and applies this methodology to a site in Milan.

La Società Umanitaria è un isolato. La via San Barnaba è uno degli assi più antichi di Milano che collega Ca 'Granda e Rotonda Della Baseana. Il sito è un complesso di sintesi con il sistema di clausura del XV secolo dell'era classica e gli edifici di Romano dell'era moderna. Il progetto propone una rigenerazione del paesaggio, un padiglione e interventi nel primo sistema di clausura. Il nuovo paesaggio mira a definire nuovi spazi pubblici per ogni edificio. La progettazione del paesaggio è una composizione di tre sistemi a griglia; asse antico da Ca` Granda a Rotonda Della Baseana, asse del vecchio sistema del chiostro e asse degli edifici di Romano. Il sistema degli assi segue la metodologia Doxiadis. La rigenerazione del paesaggio si è creata tracciando l'asse del seminterrato dell'edificio e riflettendo l'asse urbano sul sito. Il sito offre una nuova esperienza ai visitatori attraverso diversi percorsi di avvicinamento agli edifici. I visitatori sono fan contemporanei che esplorano il sito. Il padiglione è però come un nuovo pergolato urbano e offre un nuovo spazio pubblico nella zona di ingresso principale per indirizzare i visitatori secondo il nuovo asse del paesaggio. Il posizionamento del nuovo padiglione è deciso dall'opinione pubblica di Chris de Portzamparc. Attraverso questo, verrà evidenziata la caratteristica del sito. Il padiglione si è formato per tipologia toscana secondo l'ingresso esistente. Gli interventi nel sistema del chiostro mirano ad aprire interamente il piano terra al pubblico e a privatizzare il primo piano, a definire nuovi ingressi in base alle funzioni pubbliche e infine a definire l'asse attraverso la continuità. Scopo degli interventi per migliorare le prestazioni dell'edificio, allungarne la manutenzione e sottolineare la funzione di chiostro d'ingresso che introduce il lotto.